I know I'm a bit late, but I thought I'd do a review on my month old 1.83GHZ C2D Mac Mini. I am a switcher and the experience couldn't have been better.
Hardware
It has 1GB ram, 1.83 C2D, and an 80GB HDD. I was a bit concerned about the hardware, but I can now say that the system runs absolutely flawlessly! The 1GB of RAM may seem small, but the thing I love about Leopard is that there aren't too many "background apps", like there are in Windows. The RAM, for me, is enough for everything I use.
The processor is really nice and smooth. Prior to my Mini, I was using a 2.6GHZ Pentium 4 PC, and compared to this, that was just disastrous. I really didn't think the Core 2 Duo chip would make that much difference, but it did. It really is a speedy little machine, and perfect for what I use. Next, the hard drive. The hard drive is the only thing I wasn't really satisfied with. 80GB, with 57 useable out-of-the-box, is tiny. I'm looking forward to buying a 320GB external HDD soon, because the hard drive is really too little on the Mini. As a desktop PC, it really should be set with at least 160GB standard.
Intel GMA 950. I haven't tried playing any games on it, but I don't need to. I haven't played a single PC game for about 3 years. I really only play my PS3 and Wii now. The performance for watching videos is actually really stable. Occasionally, the video will have a millisecond jump, but its nothing that really bothers me. The GMA 950 for applications works just like any other graphics card would. The only real concern is for games. And for me, that isn't is a concern.
The actual machine its self is amazing. It is REALLY QUIET. You literally can't hear it until you put your ears against it. Even then, you can only hear a whisper. I love the little Apple Remote that comes with it, too. I also love how the computer is soo nice and compact. I needed to take it into school for a presentation, and my teacher and classmates were stunned at how small it was.
OS X
I don't think I need to discuss OS X too much, but as a switcher the experience is flawless and breathtaking. It's soo easy to find stuff, and everything just works. I rarely have any applications freeze, and in the rare situations when I do, it only quits the 1 application. Not everything associated. In my Windows PC, when IE froze up, it would take every single open application with it. So, iTunes, Word, and MSN all just disappeared because of 1 app. Using OS X is also extremely smooth and easy. Things kind of just pop up, and the time it takes to open up applications is unbelievable. The included applications are also extremely useful and are all integrated in a way that surprised me.
I really just like using it. Using my Windows laptop for anything always felt like a chore and a pain in the @ss, but I like using the Mac. I like being productive on it and just going on it and seeing what I can do. I used to feel like I "had" to use my PC, but I "want" to use my Mac. It sounds kind of weird, but its just such a joy using OS X on my Mac Mini,
Final Thoughts
All in all, going to a Mac was, what I believe, the best computer decision I have ever made. I was a bit nervous about paying that much when I could get more HDD, more RAM, and a fast processor. But, I finally escaped from Windows, and I finally understand why Apple fanboys are so in tact with the Mac. It works. Pretty damn nicely, too. For $652(after tax) for the Mini, it is easily the best computer I have ever purchased. If Apple just added in a larger HDD, and a faster GPU and CPU, then it would really be a hit with everyone. But for me, the current configuration still exceeds my needs.
Hardware
It has 1GB ram, 1.83 C2D, and an 80GB HDD. I was a bit concerned about the hardware, but I can now say that the system runs absolutely flawlessly! The 1GB of RAM may seem small, but the thing I love about Leopard is that there aren't too many "background apps", like there are in Windows. The RAM, for me, is enough for everything I use.
The processor is really nice and smooth. Prior to my Mini, I was using a 2.6GHZ Pentium 4 PC, and compared to this, that was just disastrous. I really didn't think the Core 2 Duo chip would make that much difference, but it did. It really is a speedy little machine, and perfect for what I use. Next, the hard drive. The hard drive is the only thing I wasn't really satisfied with. 80GB, with 57 useable out-of-the-box, is tiny. I'm looking forward to buying a 320GB external HDD soon, because the hard drive is really too little on the Mini. As a desktop PC, it really should be set with at least 160GB standard.
Intel GMA 950. I haven't tried playing any games on it, but I don't need to. I haven't played a single PC game for about 3 years. I really only play my PS3 and Wii now. The performance for watching videos is actually really stable. Occasionally, the video will have a millisecond jump, but its nothing that really bothers me. The GMA 950 for applications works just like any other graphics card would. The only real concern is for games. And for me, that isn't is a concern.
The actual machine its self is amazing. It is REALLY QUIET. You literally can't hear it until you put your ears against it. Even then, you can only hear a whisper. I love the little Apple Remote that comes with it, too. I also love how the computer is soo nice and compact. I needed to take it into school for a presentation, and my teacher and classmates were stunned at how small it was.
OS X
I don't think I need to discuss OS X too much, but as a switcher the experience is flawless and breathtaking. It's soo easy to find stuff, and everything just works. I rarely have any applications freeze, and in the rare situations when I do, it only quits the 1 application. Not everything associated. In my Windows PC, when IE froze up, it would take every single open application with it. So, iTunes, Word, and MSN all just disappeared because of 1 app. Using OS X is also extremely smooth and easy. Things kind of just pop up, and the time it takes to open up applications is unbelievable. The included applications are also extremely useful and are all integrated in a way that surprised me.
I really just like using it. Using my Windows laptop for anything always felt like a chore and a pain in the @ss, but I like using the Mac. I like being productive on it and just going on it and seeing what I can do. I used to feel like I "had" to use my PC, but I "want" to use my Mac. It sounds kind of weird, but its just such a joy using OS X on my Mac Mini,
Final Thoughts
All in all, going to a Mac was, what I believe, the best computer decision I have ever made. I was a bit nervous about paying that much when I could get more HDD, more RAM, and a fast processor. But, I finally escaped from Windows, and I finally understand why Apple fanboys are so in tact with the Mac. It works. Pretty damn nicely, too. For $652(after tax) for the Mini, it is easily the best computer I have ever purchased. If Apple just added in a larger HDD, and a faster GPU and CPU, then it would really be a hit with everyone. But for me, the current configuration still exceeds my needs.
